St Mary's record crowd treated to a thriller of basketball proportions

Southampton 1 Newcastle United 1

As the England coach, Sven Goran Eriksson, and the other 32,060 supporters who made up Southampton's record crowd filed out of a rain-swept St Mary's Stadium, they could console themselves with the thought that what the Premiership might lack in sophistication it more than makes up in entertainment.

This was a cracker, perfect fare for a gloomy Saturday in the run-up to Christmas and lacking only the sackful of goals the numerous chances warranted. "That was the best game of football I've been involved in, certainly as a manager," Southampton's Gordon Strachan admitted. "It was like a game of basketball, one side having a shot, then the other."

Newcastle might have brought the Barcelona weather back with them from their Champions' League excursion in midweek, but there was little sign of any ill effects from their prolonged stay in Catalonia as they matched a spirited Southampton side blow for blow.

While Alan Shearer had a quiet afternoon on his return to his first club, the other notable absentee from Wednesday's match, Craig Bellamy, came back with a point to prove and fairly tore up the sodden St Mary's turf with his pace. The diminutive striker capped a ceaseless afternoon's work with a superb curling shot from the edge of the penalty box that gave the visitors the lead in the 50th minute.

Kieron Dyer too, after his disastrous rendition of "I'm A Little Teapot" on the line at the Nou Camp, sparkled, Newcastle's best moments inevitably occurring when he stole forward from midfield to link with Bellamy. The watching Eriksson could not fail to be impressed.

Sadly he would not have thought the same of the Magpies' defence, which, despite the sterling efforts of the inexperienced Steven Caldwell, creaked alarmingly whenever dealing with anything more threatening than a backpass.

Admittedly, as Newcastle manager Sir Bobby Robson pointed out, there was a touch of fortune about Southampton's equaliser, the ball falling kindly to the dangerous Fabrice Fernandes from a blocked clearance and his cross being scrambled in at the far post by Chris Marsden.

Yet, after that the balding Southampton midfielder was presented with two free headers and somehow fluffed them both, prompting Strachan to quip: "If he'd had hair we'd have won the game."

Much of the pre-match focus had been on the prolific James Beattie, so almost inevitably the best of the home side's early chances fell to his strike partner, Brett Ormerod, who wasted the lot. While not exactly urging Eriksson to refrain from selecting him, Strachan spoke darkly about "careers that have been ruined by people being picked for England too early". Robson, who has worked with some of the world's best strikers – Ronaldo, Romario, Gary Lineker – was complimentary enough. "Beattie's a strong, uncomplicated player, I thought his hold-up play and presence were excellent," he said. But the impression was there that the stocky 24-year-old still has to improve his first touch to make the step up.

Strachan's comments were of a piece with his programme notes where he tried to damp down galloping expectations about his team's prospects following their recent excellent run. At the death Andy O'Brien's bizarre header against his own bar could have given Southampton the win that would have propelled them into the top six but, as Robson said, "neither side deserved to lose." It was that sort of match.

Goals: Bellamy (50) 0-1; Marsden (52) 1-1.

Southampton (4-4-2): Jones 7; Telfer 5, Lundekvam 5, M Svensson 6, Bridge 6; Fernandes 7, Delap 6, A Svensson 5, Marsden 7; Beattie 6, Ormerod 5 (Tessem 6, 64). Substitutes not used: Blayney (gk), Davies, Williams, Kanchelskis.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Given 6; Griffin 5, O'Brien 5, Caldwell 7, Hughes 4; Jenas 5, Dyer 8, Speed 6, Robert 5; Bellamy 8, Shearer 5. Substitutes not used: Harper (gk), Dabizas, Acuna, LuaLua, Ameobi.

Referee: P Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent) 8.

Bookings: None.

Man of the match: Dyer.

Attendance: 32,061.